49ers’ Konrad Reuland happy his friend’s in Indy

As much as Konrad Reuland values his friendship with his former Stanford teammate, fellow tight end Coby Fleener, he also values his job.

So, unlike a segment of the fan base, Reuland wasn’t disappointed when the 49ers passed on the local star with the No. 30 pick in the NFL draft.

Even without Fleener, who was selected 34th by the Colts, San Francisco is stocked with tight-end talent. Reuland is hoping to make the 53-man roster after spending last year’s rookie season on the practice squad.

“I love Coby,” Reuland said. “He’s a great guy and a good friend of mine. It would have been great having him on the team in that sense. But then again, this isn’t Stanford. We have Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker, Nate Byham – all those guys to compete with as well. So it would have been a little more stress at the tight end position for everybody. … I’m happy he’s in Indianapolis, and I hope he does great.”

Reuland will battle Byham, who missed last year with an ACL injury, to be the No. 3 tight end. An undrafted free agent, Reuland earned his spot on the practice squad last year by flashing excellent hands and athleticism.

Last summer, Jim Harbaugh said Reuland needed to add weight and improve his blocking skills. Reuland, 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, has put on at least five pounds in the offseason.

Premium passers: This season, the 49ers will face the NFL’s top five quarterbacks in passing yards from the 2011 season: New England’s Tom Brady, New Orleans’ Drew Brees, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, the Giants‘ Eli Manning and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford.

Last year, the quintet threw for an average of 5,065 yards, had 200 touchdowns, 64 interceptions and a combined passer rating of 105.2.

“It’s like having a baby,” Donatell said. “You need about six to nine months to get ready to where you can say, ‘Yeah, we can take this on,’ because the first day’s kind of tough. … But by the time August rolls around, you say, ‘OK, we have a plan for success and we can get this done.’ ”

The 49ers managed fine last year when they faced Brees, Stafford and Manning twice. They went 3-1 in those games.

Attendance boost: After missing a voluntary practice Tuesday, wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham, Davis, right tackle Anthony Davis and cornerback Chris Culliver were all back for Thursday’s session.